Devotional 030309

Dear brothers and sisters,
Good morning. Thank you for praying for my preaching trip to Houston. It was indeed a blessing to co-labor with Christ in serving His church. I welcome you to visit my blog to see pictures that I posted yesterday from this trip. I was really re-charged by seeing how God at work in His Church, and how dynamic a Church could become when she submitted to God’s leadership in fulfilling His global missions. I met many faithful missionaries from various mission’s fields in this conference. Their testimony inspired me to boldly follow God’s calling for my life. God does have a plan for each and every one of us. His pan is meant for us to have a joyful and abundant life, simply because He loves us. He may not call you to become full time missionary in some remote country in the world. But He has a plan to use you in wherever you are to 'make disciples of all nations.' After all, this is His mandate and His number one agenda for all His disciples. If you are willing, you will enjoy the blessings to partner with Him in His missions.

"Do you love me?" He said, "Lord, you know all things; you know that I love you." Jesus said, "Feed my sheep" (John 21:17). This is love in the making. The love of God is un-made; it is God's nature. When we receive the Holy Spirit He unites us with God so that His love is manifested in us. When the soul is united to God by the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, which is not the end; the end is that we may be one with the Father as Jesus was. What kind of oneness had Jesus Christ with the Father? Such a oneness that the Father sent Him down here to be spent for us, and He says - "As the Father has sent Me, so send I you."

Peter realizes now with the revelation of the Lord's provoking question whether he does love Him or not; then comes the main point - "Live it out." In another word, “Don't just testify how much you love Jesus, or don't profess about the marvelous revelation you have had, but to put it in action, "Feed My sheep." And Jesus has all kinds of extraordinarily funny sheep, some messy, dirty sheep, some awkward, blunted sheep, some sheep that have gone astray! It is impossible to weary God's love, and it is impossible to weary that love in me if it springs from the one center. The love of God pays no attention to the distinctions made by natural individuality. If I love my Lord I have no business to be guided by natural temperament; I have to feed His sheep. There is no relief and no release from this commission. Beware of counterfeiting the love of God by working along the line of natural human sympathy, because that will end in blaspheming the love of God.

After having been a church pastor for twenty some years, I totally agree with Oswald Chamber’s conviction. If a minister does not drink from the love of God constantly, he or she will not last too long in ministry. The more we ‘yield’ our love to God, the many folds of love we receive in return from Him. It is like diving into the reservoir of eternal love; not only you will not thirst anymore, you will have plenty to give to others as well. Whenever I had problem to minister or relate to a ‘weird’ person, I was reminded of how the Lord had accepted the most terrible and weird person like me. Then a spirit of thanksgiving burst out from my heart, and simultaneously the love of God took over my arrogant soul. I find new strength and patience to accept others, just like my Lord had accepted me.

To me, busyness produces self-centeredness. Self-centeredness produces impatience. Impatience produces arrogance. Arrogance produces self-righteousness…and all kinds of negative effects will surface from within our soul. Therefore, slow us down, Lord, so that we will find time to drink from your love. If you are too busy to drink water at work, then you definitely are too busy to drink from God’s love daily. Watch out my friend!

Love you by the strength of Christ’s love,
Lawrence